Cruising and Isla San Francisco, 4/13/2019, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Baja California
For the final day of this incredible voyage we consigned ourselves to doing only our favorite expedition pastimes. In the morning, we enjoyed the spectacular Baja California wildlife with numerous blue whale sightings. The afternoon was had doing as much or as little as desired at the postcard-perfect Half Moon Beach. We all came together and enjoyed our final group slideshow in the evening, reflecting afterward on everything we have seen and done over the course of our memorable and moving voyage.
Mike learned early on that the best way to escape Ohio was to become a marine biologist. During college at Wittenberg University he attended a semester at Duke University's Marine Lab — that time only confirmed his love for all things oceanic and ma...
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During today’s sunny and breezeless early morning, our guests and staff ventured out in local pangas for whale watching at Almejas Bay, located in the southern section of the Magdalena Bay lagoon complex on the Pacific side of the Baja California Peninsula. With the tide at its highest, our exploration in the heart of the gray whale mating grounds paid off with more than 60 adult whales spotted in the area where our boats were spread out. All the whales were very active, displaying parts of their bodies while spy-hopping, breaching, swimming, diving, and even mating. Several females were seen in a belly-up position, allowing our guests and staff to clearly distinguish genitals and other typically hidden body parts. The whales’ curiosity brought many of them to the sides or underneath the pangas, sometimes pushing or lifting the boats with the tips of their snouts or their bellies. Many of our guests even stretched out their hands to touch the whales! The afternoon was spent exploring the beach and hills around Puerto Magdalena, a quaint fishing community on Magdalena Island. During a hike, our guests had their first encounter with the unique flora of the Baja California Desert, including agave, palo adan, gongylocarpus flowers, prickly pear, galloping cacti, jojoba, and others. From the top of the hills, they were treated to magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean.
Today guests of National Geographic Venture woke up to an amazing sunrise alongside Isla Santa Margarita before boarding pangas to embark on some incredible whale watching excursions. We saw spy hopping, breaching, and mating behavior. After an amazing morning, we had an afternoon of beachcombing and kayaking off Isla Magdalena.
Today we woke up to the sound of the anchor lifting, and after a short transit we came alongside at the dock in Puerto San Carlos during breakfast. Shortly after breakfast we were greeted by Mauro Butron, a local naturalist and guide who runs a very smooth operation. From the window of the coaches, we took in the natural and cultural landscape and Mauro shared many stories with us along the way which enriched our terrestrial journey. At the northern end of Magdalena Bay, we set out to explore the mangroves with local captains driving us around in fiberglass boats. Along the shorelines we had many wonderful encounters with the avian community. We also had many close encounters with California grey whales and common bottlenose dolphins. It was a delightful day spent in the great outdoors. We gained a glimpse into a world where environmental conservation has succeeded in protecting these lagoons, in part due to the presence of natural history tourism.
